| 2 oz · 60 ml | MEZCAL | 45 % |
| 1 oz · 30 ml | LIME JUICE | |
| ¾ oz · 22 ml | TRIPLE SEC | 30 % |
1 oz taken as 30 ml in the metric column.
A variant of Margarita.
1 oz taken as 30 ml in the metric column.
| Pre-batch | 3.75 oz mixed with ice, 1.12 oz of it pure alcohol |
|---|---|
| Melt | Shaken: +20 % of the pre-batch, +0.75 oz of water |
| Served | 3.75 + 0.75 = 4.5 oz in the glass |
| Strength | 1.12 ÷ 4.5 = 25.0 % ABV as served |
| Ethanol | 1.12 oz × 29.57 ml × 0.789 g/ml = 26 g · about 184 kcal from the alcohol alone |
FROM MEZCAL · the smoky phenolic note
The smoke molecule. In peated scotch from burning peat over the malted barley; in mezcal from the underground roasting pit; in barbecue, smoked paprika, and bonfires. One molecule covering campfire, Islay whisky, and good carnitas. The brain files all three under "fire."
FROM LIME · the lemon aroma
Lemon's defining note: technically a mix of two geometric isomers (geranial and neral) that read as the same aroma to the nose. Lemon peel, lemongrass, lemon verbena, and Indian chai all carry it. In cocktails it's what a lemon twist contributes that lemon juice can't: the volatile expressed from the oil glands, not the acid from the pulp.
ALSO IN Margarita · Mojito · Daiquiri · Whiskey Sour · Gimlet · Moscow Mule · Paper Plane · Aviation
FROM ORANGE LIQUEUR · citrus peel oil
An orange rind, squeezed, throws a spray that catches the light. That's d-limonene boiling off. It's roughly 95% of orange peel oil by mass, and the molecule that puts the "orange" in orange anything. Used industrially as a green solvent because the chemistry that dissolves citrus oils also dissolves greasy machinery. The expressed-peel garnish on a cocktail is delivering vaporized limonene to the rim of the glass.
ALSO IN Old Fashioned · Martini · Margarita · Gin & Tonic · Cosmopolitan · Mai Tai · Piña Colada · Hemingway Daiquiri
Mezcal in place of blanco tequila. Roasted-agave guaiacol sits under the lime's citral, giving a smokier pour that is hotter at 45% spirit.
